Rotating mechanism

ABSTRACT

A mechanism for positioning a record member on a platform, rotating the platform 180* and then removing the record member from the platform is disclosed. Included in the mechanism is a pair of drive rolls mounted on a rotatably mounted platform which engages and positions a record member on the platform. The platform is then rotated during which movement the drive rolls are disabled. Upon reaching a 180* rotation of the platform, the drive rolls are again operated to remove the record member from the platform. A stationary drive member positioned adjacent the platform will alternately engage each drive roll upon the positioning of the platform in a horizontal plane.

United States Patent 1 Shooter et a1.

[ ROTATING MECHANISM [75] Inventors: Kenneth L. Shooter, Senecaville;

Richard E. Cone; Steve E. Bajtosh, both of Cambridge, all of Ohio [73] Assignee: The National Cash Register Company, Dayton, Ohio [22] Filed: June 30, 1972 [21] App]. No.: 268,034

[52] US. Cl. 198/33 AB, 271/51 [51] Int. Cl. B65g 47/24 [58] Field of Search 198/33 AB; 271/65,

Oderman et a1 198/33 AB [451 July 10, 1973 Primary Examiner-Richard E. Aegerter Assistant Examiner.1ames W. vMiller Attorney-J. T. Cavender, Wilbert Hawk, Jr. and Richard W. Lavin 57] ABSTRACT A mechanism for positioning a record member on a platform, rotating the platform 180 and then removing the record member from the platform is disclosed. Included in the mechanism is a pair of drive rolls mounted on a rotatably mounted platform which en gages and positions a record member on the platform. The platform is then rotated during which movement the drive rolls are disabled. Upon reaching a 180 rotation of the platform, the drive rolls are again operated to remove the record member from the platform. A stationary drive member positioned adjacent the platform will alternately engage each drive roll upon the positioning of the platform in a horizontal plane.

14 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures ROTATING MECHANISM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is utilized in a creditcard printer in which information is encoded on one side of the card in the form of color bars and on the other side in human readable form. The use of color bars to encode information on a tag or other type of record medium is fully disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,671,722. To provide as high a rate of operation of the printing of the credit card as possible, the credit card is required to be moved from a display station where the information to be printed is read by an operator to a printing station where the information to be encoded is printed with the credit card being rotated to present the proper printing surface to the printing mechanism in as short a time as possible. In some instances the encoded information is to be printed on the same side as the human readable information is printed. Thus the card is to be tranported to the printing mechanism without rotation of the card occurring.

SUMMARY OF THE, INVENTION Therefore it is an object of this inventionto provide a mechanism for rotating a record member 180. It is another object of this invention to provide a mechanism for rotating and feeding a record member through a predetermined distance, which is simple in'operation, low in cost, and compact inconstruction. In carrying out these objects of the invention, there is provided a rotatably mounted platform on which are mounted a pair of drive rolls which coact upon the positioning of a record member therebetween. A stationary drive member positioned adjacent the platform engagesone of the driverolls when the platform is in a home position. Operation of the drive rolls will position a record member on the platform, thereby initiating a rotation of" the platform through 180 by 'a second drive means. Rotationof the platform will disengage the operated drive roll from the stationary drive member. Completion of the rotation of the platform will engage the other drive roll with the drive member resulting in the record member being driven from the platform. If the platform is not rotated, the drive rolls will feed the re- FIG. 1 is a front view of the rotating mechanism vshowing the drive rolls and the support guides.

. FIG. 2 is a side view of the rotating mechanism.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on lines 3-3 of FIG. 2 sho'wing details of the spring clutch and its solenoid control. b

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a side view of the rotating mechanism which. includes a triangular-shaped body member 20 (FIG. 3) to whichis mounted a constantly operating motor 21. The drive shaft 22 of the motor 21 will transmit the rotational movement of the motor by means of a hub member 23 pinned to the shaft 22 and a drive belt 24 to a second hub member 25 rotatably supported on a drive shaft 27 journaled in the body 20. A spring clutch 28 having one end secured to the drive shaft 27 is positioned adjacent the hub member 25..As will be explained more fully hereinaf- 2 ter, release of the spring clutch 28 will couple the rotation of the hub member 25 to the drive shaft 27.

A drive belt 30 (FIGS. 1 and 2) mounted on the hub member 25 will transmit rotation of the hub 25 to a I idler hub member 31 rotatably mounted on the body member 20 and to a hub member 32 pinned to a drive shaft 33 journaled in the body member 20. Pinned to the other end of the shaft 33 is a drive roll 34 which normally engages one of two drive rolls 35, 36 rotatably mounted on studs 37, 38 secured to a platform 40. The

platform 40 is secured to a shaft 41 (FIGS. 2 and 3) journaled within the body 20. Pinned to the shaft 41 adjacent the platform 40 is a gear member 42 which engages a second gear member 43 pinned to the shaft 27. It will be seen from this construction that rotation of the drive shaft 27 and gear 43 will result in the rotation of the platform 40. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, riveted to the front of the platform 40 are two sets of guide supports 44 which are separated by the drive rolls 35, 36. The drive rolls 35, 36 are mounted with their peripheral edges separated by less than the thickness of a record member such that the positioning of a record member onthe guide supports and between the rolls will allow one of the rolls which is being driven by the drive'roll34 to drive both-the rec-0rd member and the other drive roll. It is obvious that the feed rolls can be mounted to engage each other such that both rolls will be operated by the drive roll 34. This will depend on 41 is an arm assembly 45 having its free end rotatably secured to a plunger'46 of a solenoid 47. As shown more clearly in FIG. 2,-the arm assembly 45 has a pair of spread apart ends 52, 53 secured together. A spring 48 secured to the end of the plunger 46 normally urges the plunger 46 and the arm asesembly 45 in aclockwise direction upon the deenergizing of the solenoid 47. In this latter position, one end 52 (FIG. 2) of the arm assembly 45 will engage and hold one end 50' of the spring clutch 28 in a position which disengages the clutch from the hub member 25.

In the operation ofthe mechanism, the motor 21 will be operated continuously thereby rotating the hub member 25 and the drive roll 34 in the mannerdescribed previously. Upon'the positioning of a credit card within one set of the guide supports" 44 and into engagement with the drive rolls 35, 36, the credit card,

the photo-cells have sensed that the credit card has.

been positioned on the platform 40, the solenoid 47 (FIG. 3) is energized rocking the. arm assembly 45 counter-clockwise. This movement removes the end 52 of the assembly from engagement with the end 50 of the spring clutch 28 thereby releasing the spring clutch which couples the drive shaft 27 to the movement of the hub member 25. Rotation of the shaft 27 will, through the engagement of the gears 42, 43, rotate the platform 40 and the credit card through a l rotation. Initial rotational movement of the platform 40 will disengage the drive roll 35 from the drive roll 34 as viewed in FIG. 1, thus stopping the movement of the rolls 35, 36 and the credit'card. Upon completion of the movement of the platform 40, the drive roll 36 will engage the drive roll 34 resulting in the movement of the credit card off the platform. As the credit card is being transported from the platform, another credit card is being positioned within the guide plates 44 preparatory to another rotational operation. It will be seen from this construction that the rotation of the credit card consumes very little time in the movement of the card between printing stations and that the movement of the card on the rotating mechanism is a by-product of the operation of the rotating movement. It should also be pointed out that the rotation of the credit card occurs within its own length which provides for a very compact construction.

After the solenoid 47 has been energized to release the spring clutch 28 as described previously, the solenoid will be immediately deenergized thereby allowing the spring 48 to rotate the arm assembly 45 clockwise as viewed in FIG. 3. The movement of the arm assembly 45 will bring the end portion 53 of the arm assembly into engagement with a cam surface 51 (FIGS. 2 and 3) which is secured to the shaft 27. At this time, the cam surface 51 will prevent the arm assembly 45 from moving to an engaging position with the end 50 of the spring clutch 28. Upon the completion of one revolution of shaft 27, the cam surface 51 will position the end portion 52 ofthe arm assembly 45 into engagement with the end 50 of the spring clutch 28, thereby disabling the spring clutch from engagement with the hub member 25. This action disengages the shaft 47 from the hub member 25, thus stopping the platform 40. With this construction the platform 40 can only be rotated through 180 upon each operation of the solenoid 47.

under certain conditions, the operator will want to encode the information in color bars on the same side of the credit card as the human readable information is located. When this is to occur, the operator will interrupt the energizing circuit to the solenoid 47 which allows the drive roll 34 to continuously operate the drive rolls 35, 36 thereby transporting the record card through the guide supports 44 on the platform 40 to the printing station. Thus the mechanism functions as a transport mechanism irrespective of whether a rotation of the card is required.

What is claimed is:

l. A mechanism for rotating a record member between a record receiving and a record dispensing position comprising a. supporting means mounted for rotation between a record receiving and a record dispensing position;

b. a pair of drive members rotatably mounted on said supporting means in a juxtaposition for moving a record member positioned therebetween when operated, each of said drive members having a driving surface which occupies the same predetermined position when the supporting means is rotated between a record receiving and a record dispensing position;

c. a first drive means positioned adjacent said supporting means and the predetermined position of the driving surfaces of said drive members for engagement with the driving surface of one of said drive members when the supporting means is in a record receiving position for operating said drive member and for engagement with the driving surface of the other of said drive member when the supporting means is in a record dispensing position for operating said other drive member;

d. a normally disabled second drive means engaging said supporting means for rotating said supporting means between a record receiving and a record dispensing position when enabled;

e. and means for sensing the position of a record member on said supporting means when in a record receiving position, said sensing means adapted to acutate said second drive means upon sensing the positioning of a record member on the supporting means by said drive members whereby upon rotation of said supporting means by said second drive means between a record receiving and a record dispensing position, said drive members are disengaged from said first drive means.

2. The rotating mechanism of claim 1 in which said supporting means includes a. a rotatably mounted platform;

b. a pair of spaced apart guide members mounted on said platform for supporting a record member therebetween;

c. and said drive members are positioned between said guide members to engage a record member positioned on one of the guide members to move the record member onto both guide members when the platform is in record receiving position.

3. The rotating mechanism of claim 2 in which a. said drive members comprise drive rolls rotatably mounted on an axis perpendicular to said platform, said drive rolls each having a portion of its peripheral edge in a common circumferential plane;

b. and said first drive means comprises a stationary drive roll having a portion of its peripheral edge in said common circumferential plane whereby said stationary drive roll will engage one of said drive rolls when the platform is in a record receiving and a record dispensing position.

4. The rotating mechanism of claim 3 in which the drive rolls and the stationary drive roll are rotatably mounted in the same plane when the platform is in a record receiving and a record dispensing position whereby upon rotation of said platform, the stationary roll will be disengaged from said drive rolls.

5. The rotating mechanism of claim 3 in which said stationary drive roll is continuously operated to operate said drive rolls when the platform is in a record receiving and a record dispensing position whereby a record member positioned between said drive rolls will be transported when the platform is in both of said positions.

6. The rotating mechanism of claim 1 in which said first drive means including a constantly operating drive member; and said normally disabled second drive means includes a clutch member positioned adjacent said constantly operating drive member and engaging said second drive means, said clutch member operated by said sensing means to couple said constantly operating drive member to said second drive means whereby said supporting means is rotated.

7. The rotating mechanism of claim 6 in which said sensing means include a. an electromagnetically operated actuator member engaging said clutch member, said actuator member effective for operating said clutch member when moved to an energized position;

b. position determining means for sensing a predetermined position ofa record member in said supporting means, said determining means energizing said actuator member upon sensing a record member in said position for operating said clutch member;

c. and said second drive means includes limiting means for positioning said actuator member in a non-energized position after movement of said supporting means through a predetermined position for disabling said clutch member.

8. The rotating mechanism of claim 7 in which a. said clutch member includes a resilient operating arm normally orientated towards a position actuating said clutch member;

b. resilient means engaging said actuated member for normally urging said actuator member to a non energized position whereby said actuator member engages and positions said operating arm in a nonactuating position;

c. and said limiting means includes a cam member positioned adjacent said actuator member and rotated by said second drive means, said cam member engaging said actuator member to position said member in a non-energized position under the urging of said resilient means after the actuator member has been moved toan energized position whereby the supporting means will be moved through a predetermined distance.

9. The rotating mechanism of claim 8 in which said predetermined distance is 180 rotation of said supporting means.

10. In a mechanism for transporting and rotating a record member between a record receiving and a record dispensing position comprising a. a rotatably mounted support means for supporting a record member positioned thereon, said support means adapted for rotation between a record receiving and a record dispensing position wherein the support means will be orientated inthe same record movement direction in both positions;

b. a pair of equal diameter pinch rolls rotatably mounted on said support means for transporting, when driven, a record member positioned therebetween onto said support means;

c. a first drive means positioned adjacent said support means to engage and drive one of said pinch rolls when the support means is in a record receiving or a record dispensing position;

d. a second drive means engaging said support means for rotating said support means between a record receiving and a record dispensing position when operated;

e. and sensing means for operating said second drive means upon sensing the positioning of a record member on said support means by said pinch rolls when the support means is in a record receiving position whereby said support means is rotated by said second drive means thereby disabling the driving of said pinch rolls by said first drive means between the record receiving and the record dispensing position of the support means.

11. The rotating mechanism of claim 10 in which said support means comprises a. a rotatably mounted platform member;

b. a pair of spaced apart guide members mounted on said platform for supporting a record member therebetween;

c. and said pinch rolls are positioned between said guide members to engage arecord member-positioned on one of the guide members to transport the record member onto both guide members when the platform is in a record receiving position.

12. The rotating mechanism of claim 10 in-which said first drive means comprises a stationary drive roll mounted in the same plane as that of the axis of rotation of the pinch rolls when the support means is in a record receiving and a record dispensing position whereby upon rotation of said support means from either of these positions, said pinch rolls will be disengaged from said stationary drive roll.

13. The rotating mechanism of claim 12 in which said stationary drive roll is continuously operated to drive said pinch rolls when the platform is in a record receiving and a record dispensing position whereby a record member will be transported when the platform is in both of said positions.

14. The mechanism of claim 10 which includes a. a constantly operating drive means;

b. said second drive means include a normallydisabled clutch member mounted adjacent said constantly operating drive means for coupling said second drive means to said constantly operating drive means when enabled;

0. and an actuating member engaging said clutch member and operated by said sensing means upon sensing the positioning of a record memberon said support means to enable said clutch member whereby said support means is rotated by said constantly operating drive means. l 

1. A mechanism for rotating a record member between a record receiving and a record dispensing position comprising a. supporting means mounted for rotation between a record receiving and a record dispensing position; b. a pair of drive members rotatably mounted on said supporting means in a juxtaposition for moving a record member positioned therebetween when operated, each of said drive members having a driving surface which occupies the same predetermined position when the supporting means is rotated between a record receiving and a record dispensing position; c. a first drive means positioned adjacent said supporting means and the predetermined position of the driving surfaces of said drive members for engagement with the driving surface of one of said drive members when the supporting means is in a record receiving position for operating said drive member and for engagement with the driving surface of the other of said drive member when the supporting means is in a record dispensing position for operating said other drive member; d. a normally disabled second drive means engaging said supporting means for rotating said supporting means between a record receiving and a record dispensing position when enabled; e. and means for sensing the position of a record member on said supporting means when in a record receiving position, said sensing means adapted to acutate said second drive means upon sensing the positioning of a record member on the supporting means by said drive members whereby upon rotation of said supporting means by said second drive means between a record receiving and a record dispensing position, said drive members are disengaged from said first drive means.
 2. The rotating mechanism oF claim 1 in which said supporting means includes a. a rotatably mounted platform; b. a pair of spaced apart guide members mounted on said platform for supporting a record member therebetween; c. and said drive members are positioned between said guide members to engage a record member positioned on one of the guide members to move the record member onto both guide members when the platform is in record receiving position.
 3. The rotating mechanism of claim 2 in which a. said drive members comprise drive rolls rotatably mounted on an axis perpendicular to said platform, said drive rolls each having a portion of its peripheral edge in a common circumferential plane; b. and said first drive means comprises a stationary drive roll having a portion of its peripheral edge in said common circumferential plane whereby said stationary drive roll will engage one of said drive rolls when the platform is in a record receiving and a record dispensing position.
 4. The rotating mechanism of claim 3 in which the drive rolls and the stationary drive roll are rotatably mounted in the same plane when the platform is in a record receiving and a record dispensing position whereby upon rotation of said platform, the stationary roll will be disengaged from said drive rolls.
 5. The rotating mechanism of claim 3 in which said stationary drive roll is continuously operated to operate said drive rolls when the platform is in a record receiving and a record dispensing position whereby a record member positioned between said drive rolls will be transported when the platform is in both of said positions.
 6. The rotating mechanism of claim 1 in which said first drive means including a constantly operating drive member; and said normally disabled second drive means includes a clutch member positioned adjacent said constantly operating drive member and engaging said second drive means, said clutch member operated by said sensing means to couple said constantly operating drive member to said second drive means whereby said supporting means is rotated.
 7. The rotating mechanism of claim 6 in which said sensing means include a. an electromagnetically operated actuator member engaging said clutch member, said actuator member effective for operating said clutch member when moved to an energized position; b. position determining means for sensing a predetermined position of a record member in said supporting means, said determining means energizing said actuator member upon sensing a record member in said position for operating said clutch member; c. and said second drive means includes limiting means for positioning said actuator member in a non-energized position after movement of said supporting means through a predetermined position for disabling said clutch member.
 8. The rotating mechanism of claim 7 in which a. said clutch member includes a resilient operating arm normally orientated towards a position actuating said clutch member; b. resilient means engaging said actuated member for normally urging said actuator member to a non-energized position whereby said actuator member engages and positions said operating arm in a non-actuating position; c. and said limiting means includes a cam member positioned adjacent said actuator member and rotated by said second drive means, said cam member engaging said actuator member to position said member in a non-energized position under the urging of said resilient means after the actuator member has been moved to an energized position whereby the supporting means will be moved through a predetermined distance.
 9. The rotating mechanism of claim 8 in which said predetermined distance is 180* rotation of said supporting means.
 10. In a mechanism for transporting and rotating a record member between a record receiving and a record dispensing position comprising a. a rotatably mounted support means for supporting a record member positioned thereon, said support means adapted foR rotation between a record receiving and a record dispensing position wherein the support means will be orientated in the same record movement direction in both positions; b. a pair of equal diameter pinch rolls rotatably mounted on said support means for transporting, when driven, a record member positioned therebetween onto said support means; c. a first drive means positioned adjacent said support means to engage and drive one of said pinch rolls when the support means is in a record receiving or a record dispensing position; d. a second drive means engaging said support means for rotating said support means between a record receiving and a record dispensing position when operated; e. and sensing means for operating said second drive means upon sensing the positioning of a record member on said support means by said pinch rolls when the support means is in a record receiving position whereby said support means is rotated by said second drive means thereby disabling the driving of said pinch rolls by said first drive means between the record receiving and the record dispensing position of the support means.
 11. The rotating mechanism of claim 10 in which said support means comprises a. a rotatably mounted platform member; b. a pair of spaced apart guide members mounted on said platform for supporting a record member therebetween; c. and said pinch rolls are positioned between said guide members to engage a record member positioned on one of the guide members to transport the record member onto both guide members when the platform is in a record receiving position.
 12. The rotating mechanism of claim 10 in which said first drive means comprises a stationary drive roll mounted in the same plane as that of the axis of rotation of the pinch rolls when the support means is in a record receiving and a record dispensing position whereby upon rotation of said support means from either of these positions, said pinch rolls will be disengaged from said stationary drive roll.
 13. The rotating mechanism of claim 12 in which said stationary drive roll is continuously operated to drive said pinch rolls when the platform is in a record receiving and a record dispensing position whereby a record member will be transported when the platform is in both of said positions.
 14. The mechanism of claim 10 which includes a. a constantly operating drive means; b. said second drive means include a normally disabled clutch member mounted adjacent said constantly operating drive means for coupling said second drive means to said constantly operating drive means when enabled; c. and an actuating member engaging said clutch member and operated by said sensing means upon sensing the positioning of a record member on said support means to enable said clutch member whereby said support means is rotated by said constantly operating drive means. 